Kuranda town and around
Written: Oct 08 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Should be something for everyone here.
Cons: A bit touristy but I guess that is only to be expected.
The Bottom Line: Interesting place but not really an essential 'Must-Do' if time is short.
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| hollynz's Full Review: Kuranda Nature Park |
Look at any brochure or flyer about attractions and things to do in Cairns and you will see Kuranda Village mentioned over and over again. This attraction is hugely popular with visitors and so we just had to make the effort to see for ourselves what all the fuss was about.
Getting There
There are various ways and means of getting there from Cairns. You can chose from the Scenic Railway, the Gondola, tour buses, day tours and of course, self-driving.
We chose the latter as we prefer driving ourselves when on holiday as it gives us the freedom to come and go as we please.
The drive took about 30 minutes from our accommodation in Cairns and was very straight forward. This is an extremely well worn tourist trail so just get yourself onto the Captain Cook Highway and wait till you see the signs telling you to turn left onto the Kennedy Highway.
The drive gets interesting as you head up into the rain-forest clad hills, the road gets narrower and steeper as it winds its way up and our little biddy rental car handled it very easily.
Tourism on a stick
Kuranda itself is a small village and quite charming but ... it is also a bit naff and is bordering on somewhat of a tacky tourist town. Somehow, it manages to achieve a good balance and so it still maintains a feeling of authenticity and credibility. The local artists and artisans have developed a lovely village atmosphere which is relaxing and chilled out, despite the hordes of tourists that flock here daily.
The location couldn't be nicer, set in the rain-forest clad hills about 300 metres above sea level, it seems a world away from the beaches and palm trees of the resorts.
Things to do
I think Kuranda has all options covered here, there must be something to suit every member of the family with all tastes, flavours and quirks catered for.
There are rain-forest walks, bush walks, wildlife attractions, shopping, markets, river cruises, scenic rail and gondola trips and art galleries galore as well as the opportunity to learn about the Aboriginal Culture.
Obviously the towns life blood is tourism and as such, the place just oozes with things to do, see, touch and feel.
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Shopping
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Take a stroll along the main street and you may be tempted by all the interesting art, craft work and clothing on sale. There seems to be a strong alternative flavour to the town and perhaps this is what saves it from being a mundane tourist destination.
There are a multitude of restaurants and cafes to choose from for a spot of lunch and the town was full to the brim with day trippers when we visited.
The Kuranda Markets are another popular stop, we wandered around but weren't tempted to buy anything. I was a bit grossed out by one stall selling money pouches made of whole cane toads but there seemed to be quite a few items made of various body parts of crocodiles, kangaroo and toads. The back scratchers made of kangaroo and crocodile paws/legs were gross as well ... we saw the same type of things at the Night markets in Cairns.
If you are interested in Aborigine art, get yourself over to the Aboriginal Art Gallery. There are some magnificent pieces for sale here but even if you are not buying, it is well worth heading there just to view the pieces.
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Wildlife Attractions
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*The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary*
I managed to coax my other half with me to visit the butterfly sanctuary while we were there. This is a family owned enterprise which was well worth visiting. The butterflies are housed in a huge open air area which is covered with sheer net to stop the butterflies from escaping.
The walk way meanders through lovely tropical plantings and streams and as there are about 1500 butterflies housed here, there are butterflies of all shapes and sizes flitting around everywhere. They are all native to the region and the sanctuary is doing invaluable work due to its success with breeding.
As you wander through this delightful place butterflies alight on you from time to time, especially if you are wearing light or bright coloured clothing.
The tropical butterflies were spectacularly coloured and easy to spot. The Ulysses Butterfly with its brilliant turquoise blue wings was absolutely beautiful and the large iridescent green Australian Birdwing would stop you in your tracks it is that gorgeous.
If you want to learn all about the different species, join one of the guided tours through the sanctuary.
$14 adult
*Birdworld*
If I had time I would have liked to have visited Birdworld. This is an open aviary with over 40 native species and a freedom flying area where about 500 birds fly free. You can buy food for the birds which are all used to humans and will happily feed from your hand. I really wish i had gone here as I discovered (belatedly) that they have a Cassowary bird here. I had really hoped to see one of these rare birds while we were in tropical north Queensland but it wasn't to be. Looks like I will have to revisit Kuranda if I ever return to make a special trip to Birdworld.
$12 adult
$5 children
*Koala Gardens*
If you haven't had the opportunity to get up close and personal with such aussie curiosities as koalas, wombats and kangaroos, here is your chance.You can even pay a bit more for a 'cuddle a koala' experience and photo op.
As well as the cute and cuddly, you can view such aussie delights as snakes, lizards and crocodiles here to boot.
$14 adult
* Australian Venom Zoo*
I noticed this one in passing and if you are drawn to scorpions, centipedes and tarantulas, this is the place for you.
$8 adult
$5 children
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Nature Tours
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If walks, hikes and river, train and gondola tours are more your thing you will be well catered for here as well. Even if you drove here like we did, you can still take the Kuranda Scenic Railway or Skyrail Rainforest Cableway trip or do both on a return trip. This was very popular and I met a couple the next day who did this and thoroughly enjoyed the trip.
If a river cruise is more your style sit back and relax on the 45 minute cruise on the Barron River with Kuranda Riverboat Cruises.
There are plenty of walking trails of varying distance, difficulty and terrain. If you don't fancy striking out on your own you can join a guided walk. If you check out the notice board near the Visitor's Centre, you will find all the information you need about the activities available for the day.
We decided to do The Barron Falls Lookout trail. This trail was a fair distance from the township so unless you had a car or bike, maybe you should give this one a miss.
The walk itself was through the bush on a raised boardwalk. The well maintained boardwalk meandered its way down the hill to the lookout. We arrived at the bottom of the trail just as the train pulled in and in about 20 seconds flat, we went from being the only ones at the lookout, to one of what seemed like hundreds all vying for a viewing spot and posing for that perfect photo with the falls in the background.
We waited out the 10 minutes or so while the train was there and before too long, the train whistle sounded to call all the passengers back on board. This train was positively huge, the amount of carriages took me by surprise and every one of them seemed to be full. No wonder the village was so busy when we were there.
The train lurched off and we were back in amongst the peace and quiet of the forest once more.
The falls weren't overly spectacular at the time of year we visited (Aug) but it was a nice walk nonetheless.
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Overall this is a great day trip for the family and I am sure that there will be at least one thing of interest for everybody.
I am in two minds about recommending visiting Kuranda though as it is all a bit theme-parkish. It is certainly a one-stop-shop and if you don't expect too much, I guess you won't be disappointed.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Epinions.com ID:
hollynz
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Member: Christine
Location: New Zealand
Reviews written: 142
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~ In memory of Barbara ~
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